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CONFESSIONS OF A WIFE
IS IT MY OWN WAY ONLY THAT J WANT?
(Copyright, 1915, Newspaper Enterprise Association)
"Oh, see here, Margie," said Dick
through the door, "can' you be just
a little sensible? I didn't mean any
thing so particularly awful. You are
just like every other woman, always
jumping at conclusions. Come on
out here and let's get down to cases.
I've got to fix up these money mat
ters today."
I know, little book, I should have
stayed in my room, but I did not
"So Jim lent you $6,000," said Dick,
as I came out, in a voice that he vain
ly tried to keep even.
"Yes, he said that he happened to
have that much in the bank and that
as soon as you returned we would
fix it up all together."
I could see that Dick's eyes got
clearer as I mentioned that Jim was
going to talk the matter over with
him. Surely, Dick does not for a mo
ment suspect that Jim is the least bit
interested in me more than he
would be in any other woman that
Dick had married.
There, little book, I believe I lied
to myself as I wrote that I don't be
lieve Jim would have liked Eleanor
Fairlow, and good old Jim is fond of
me a real friend to me as well as to
Dick.
"You see, Dick, I really don't want
all my eggs in one basket and I think
if you would talk with Mr. Selwin he
would say it is better for us to put
this money somewhere else."
"What do you intend to do with
the rest of it?"
"Put it where it will draw six per
cent," I said promptly.
"You imagine you are a great lit
tle business woman, don't you?"
asked Dick sarcastically.
"On the contrary, this desire on my
part shows plainly that I have no
confidence in my business ability
whatever and consequently feel that
it would be hazardous to have all my
money in a business. You know,
Dick, that if anything should happen
to you I could not have the slightest
influence in the book concern even if
every cent I had was there.
"Not that I want to run the busi
ness or that my ideas would be of any
use, but for a woman I think good
investments at six per cent are about
the best places she can put any mo
ney she may have.
"You hear so much about widows
spending their life insurance and
other money that their husbands
leave them in a foolish manner.
"Did you ever stop to think what
it means to a sheltered woman one
who has all her life been only a good
wife and mother to be suddenly
thrust out of that shelter with only a
few thousand dollars to bury her hus
band decently and set her on her feet
again with no knowledge of where
to get work or how to keep it after
she had gotten it
"No wonder she spends her prin
cipal. She would starve if she did
not You remember. Mabel Thurs
ton, don't you? Her case, more than
any other, decided me in the invest
ment of this money. Tom Thurston
had a position that paid as well as
yours and Mabel had always lived as
well .as we do. It's just a year ago
since Tom died and of course imme
diately his salary was cut off. He
had only $3,000 of life insurance. It
took a thousand of that to bury him
and pay the little outstanding debts.
"Mabel told me the other day that
she spent over $1,500 of the remaind
er last year and at that she was liv
ing on half that she did when her hus
band was alive." A.
"But Tom had quite -a block of
stock in the business," said Dick, rf
"From which she has not had one
dollar since he died."
After a moment's silence Dick said
"Well, Margie, I'll hunt up Jim tins'
morning and we'll settle that business"
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